Alarm



April 13, 1937.

C. L. SCHROEDER ALARM Filed June 18, 1935 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 13,1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to alarm clocks, the invention beingdirected in particular to an electric clock having an audible electricalarm.

5 The principal object of my invention is to provide an alarm clockconstructed so that an electric light will be turned on concurrentlywith the ringing of the alarm bell or other audible alarm device so thatboth audible and visual alarms are 10 given.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device, in combinationwith a particular electric circuit, which will extinguish the electriclight when the audible alarm device is shut off.

As an additional object, it is my purpose to provide an electric circuitfor the electric light which will permit selective use of the light atany time as well as selective use of the light with the audible alarmdevice.

20 A further object of the invention is to produce a simple andinexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective forthe purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such 25 structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several 30 views:

Figure 1 is an outline of the back of an electric clock provided with myelectric light visual alarm; the dotted lines indicating the electricalconnections.

35 Figure 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic side elevation of the particularswitch structure I employ in the electrical circuits.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the electrical circuits ofthe alarm devices.

46 Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawing, the numeral I denotes the case of a clock having mountedtherein a synchronous electric motor 2 which drives the clock mechanism(not shown).

5 An alarm setting knob 3 extends rearwardly of the clock case and. isconnected into the clock mechanism as usual. Mounted adjacent theelectric motor 2 within the case I is the electric alarm bell 4.

50 Electric supply devices 5 extend from the source of supply toterminals 6 and 1 within the clock case. Wires 3 and 9 lead from theseterminals to the motor and supply electric current thereto. Another wirel connects directly be- 55 tween the terminal 6 and one terminal of thebell 4 while the other terminal of the bell is connected by a wire H toone side of a switch 12. Completing the bell circuit is a wire i3connecting the other side of the switch H with supply terminal 7.

This switch, indicated generally at I2, comprises (as illustrated inFigure 2) a flexible switch arm i i rigidly secured at one end to astrip of insulating material I5 which is secured to the clock frame.This arm is provided ad- 10 jacent its other end with a contact point itmounted for engagement with another contact point ll, secured to aterminal finger l8 secured on the under side of the strip iii. The wireII leading from the bell connects to the switch arm it while the wire l3leads from the terminal finger 8 to the supply terminal 7.

The contact points l6 and H are automatically brought into contact toactuate the bell by means of an actuating arm I9 rigidly secured at oneend as at 20 and projecting beneath the arm M and connected thereto by aconnecting element 2i of insulating material.

A shaft 22 on the outer end of which is secured the alarm setting knob 3cooperates with and controls the position of a rotatable female camelement 23 relative to a male cam element 24 fixed to the clock frame25, all as is common in clock construction. The cam element 23 isrotated by a gear 26 connected thereto and driven one full revolutionevery twelve hours from the clock mechanism. Thus, at all hours exceptthe hour when the cams are in full engagement, the cam 23 and gear 26are raised sufiicient to contact the arm [9 and raise the same as wellas connected arm Id enough to break the contact points I6 and H of thebell circuit and therefore prevent the alarm from ringing. But at thepredetermined hour, the cams fall into complete engagement, the armsdrop and allow the contacts l6 and I! to close the bell ringing circuit.

To prevent continued operation of the bell while the cam elements remainin complete engagement, an insulated finger 21, suitably mounted formovement toward the free end of switch arm I4, is moved until it engagesbeneath an upturned portion 28 on said end of the arm 14 to raise saidarm and thereby separate contact points [6 and I1.

The structure hereinbefore described is usual in electric clockconstruction and has been set out in order to form a structural basisfor the novel features of my invention which will now be described.

Mounted on top of the clock case I is an electric socket 29 having abuilt-in switch 39 and provided with an electric globe 3|. Supportedwithin the clock case I but operable exteriorly 5 thereof is a snapswitch 32.

The electric circuit for this light comprises a wire 33 leading from thesupply terminal 6 directly to one terminal of the electric socket 29.The snap switch 30 is interposed in this wire 33.

Another wire 34 leads from the other socket terminal to the supplyterminal 1 to complete the circuit; the snap switch 32 being interposedin wire 34 to selectively break the circuit at that point.

Another wire 35 connects into wire 34 between the socket 29 and switch32 and leads to one terminal of another switch 36 actuated by and inunison with the switch l2 already described. The other terminal ofswitch 36 is connected directly with wire I3 which connects with supplyterminal 1. In effect, switches 32 and 36 are connected in parallel inthe electric light circuit.

The switch 36 is constructed in unity with switch l2 and comprises afixed contact point 31 to which wire connects. A fiexible metal strip 38is secured at one end to the terminal finger l8 and carries the othercontact point 39 on the outer end adjacent the contact point 31.

A coupling element 40 of insulating material 09 connects arm I4 withstrip 38 whereby when arm 14 moves up, due to the cam actuating theconnected arm l9, and breaks contacts I6 and I1 apart, strip 38 alsomoves up and separates contacts 31 and 39.

35 Operation When my novel alarm device is to be used, the switch 30 isclosed and switch 32 opened and the alarm set for a particular hour byturning knob 40 3. In this position the cams 23 and 24 are in suchposition as to have moved arm I9 upward causing both sets of contacts l6and I1, and 31 and 39 to open which breaks both the bell circuit and thelight circuit. At the selected hour,

the cams 23 and 24 snap into complete engagement and both sets ofcontacts, above referred to, are at once closed causing the bell to ringand the light to be illuminated thus giving an audible and visual alarm.Then; by moving the insulated finger 21 into engagement with theupturned tip of arm I4, the arm is raised breaking contacts Iii-l1 apartas well as contacts 31-39 which turns off both the bell and light.

If desired to use the light separately from the bell, the switches 30and 32 are closed which completes the circuit and illuminates theelectric globe 3|.

Also, if it is desired that only the alarm bell ring and the lightremain unlighted when the bell and light switches are closed by theclock mechanism, the switches 30 and 32 are both opened when the alarmis set.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An electric light signal switch for an alarm clock, said clock having atime-closed normally open audible-alarm switch which comprises aflexible switch arm fixed at one end, a contact on its opposite end anda fixed contact cooperating with said arm contact; said signal switchcomprising a flexible switch strip extending in a general directionparallel to and spaced from the flexible arm and secured at one end inelectrical connection with the fixed contact of the other switch, acontact on the free end of said strip, a relatively fixed cooperatingcontact positioned to be spaced from the strip contact when the alarmswitch contacts are spaced, and an element of insulation materialconnecting the arm and strip whereby the strip will be movedsimultaneously with the moving of the flexible switch arm.

CARL L SCHROEDER.

